Connecter



Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

CHARLES W. WYMAN, F CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR T0 SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

CONNECTER.

Application nled December 27, 1920. Serial No. 483,410.

My invention relates to connecters or Contact making devices, and more particularly to devicesv for use in coal mining for the purpose of makingl running and iixed Contact with the trolley wires employed in the entries of such mines. v y

An object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the type mentioned. A. further object of my invention is to provide an improved contact making device providedv with improved means for maintaining the same connected to a trolley Wire and for preventing its accidental detachment therefrom. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved trolley clip having an enclosed removable fuse provided With an improved mounting whereby the fuse may be readily lremoved or changed as desired. Other objects `of my invent1on will appear in the course of the appended specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown for purposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assume in practice. l

In these draWings,-

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, with parts broken away to show details of the internal construction, of the illustrative form of my improved contact device.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

In coal mining, mining machines having electric driving motors are much used and these motors receive their current from trolley wires strung around the various entries of the mine. The mining machine is generally arranged in such a manner upon 1ts truck that the motor of the mining machine likewise is operable to drive the truck. As itis desirable to make the operation of the machine as simple as possible and to main-v tain the head room required as l`ow as possible, iixed trolley poles are not generally used but instead a manually grasped contact device provided with a heavy wire to contact with the trolley wire is generally used. This is arranged at the free end of the wire wound upon the reel carried by the machine or its truck and is held in contact with the trolley wire by the miner as the machine proceeds from place to place. When the machine reaches a point where it is desired to malte a cut, this manual trolley is secured in some convenient manner to the Wire and the machine runs in to the cutting face unreeling they wire from its reel as it moves.

In the illustrative embodiment, I have shown my invention removabl attached to a wire l which may beconnecte for example, to the motor (not shown) of a mining machine. The device comprises generally a grasping portion 2'compr1sing a tube 3 of insulating material, anda contact element generally indicated by 4 provided with an automatic clamp 5 adapted to be removably attached to a trolley or feeder wire, the element 4 herein alsohaving a socket 6 in which a trolle clip or piece of heavy wire may be inserte to make detachable contact with the trolley wire during running of the machine Afrom place to place. The automatic clam 5 comprises fixed and movable jaws-7 and 8 and means for normally maintaining them in contact enclosedin a housing -9. The insulating shell 3l of the grasping portion 2 is of hollow construction as indicated at 10 and within the same is arranged a fuse bearing block generally indicated by 11. This comprises front and back head members 12 and 13, each of brass or other suitable metal and an intermediate fuse carrying member 14. The latter is composed of two members, that designated 15 being of fiber and adapted to provide the necessary strength, while that desi ated 16 is of asbestos or a similar preparation and ada ted to resist the arc formed upon the blowing of the fuse as later described. The members 15 4and 16 are secured together by suitable rivets 17 and an air space 18, to protect the member 15 from rthe heat generated by the passage of the current through the fuse or by the blowing of the latter, is arranged between the two in the center, this being done because the member 15 being in some cases of fibrous material, might be burned by the vheat generated at the fuse. The member 15 at its rear end is secured by a plurality of rivets 19 to the metallic en member 13 and at its forward end is secured to the second metallic contact member 12 by a plurality of rivets 20. The contact member 1 2 is provided with la conical nose 21 for the purpose of insuring a good and ample contact area with the member 4. The contact member 4 is of reduced diameter at its rear portion, here designated 4, in order to fit the front end 'of the tube 3 and is provided vwith a conical socket 22 to cooperate with the member 21 and is likewise provided with automaticall operable means to clamp itself, the fuse lock, and other elements later to be described within the member 3. This mechanism comprises a pair of telescopically arranged members 23 and 24 each projectin radially from o posite sides of the mem er 4' and adapte respectively to enter openings 25 and 26 formed in the shell member 3 and in a lining sleeve 27 in the front end thereof. A spring 28 imparts to the members 23 and 24 a normal tendency to separate and a stop pin 29 prevents their separation to a too great extent. Obviously when the members 23 and 24 are in a position to project through the openings 25 and 26, pressure applied to their opposite ends by the thumb and forenger will compressor telescope these members in such a manner as to permit their passing through the sleeve member 27 and thereby permit withdrawal of member 4 as a whole.

The members 12 and 13 are provided with undercut slots 31 and 30 respectively to receive the opposite ends of a removable fuse link 32 and this fuse is adapted to be held in place by suitable screws 33 and 34. For the purpose of preventing the insertion of a fuse of a greater capacity than that desired, a non-adjustable steel limit screw 35, having its top surface flush with the top of the member 12, is arranged rearward of the screw 34 and set so as to prevent insertion of a fuse or fuses of an excessive total capacity. The removal fuse links 32 are provided with projecting portions 36 adapted to raise the portion 37 of reduced area, in which it is desired that the fusing shall take place, out of contact with the member 16 in such manner as to protect that member to the maximum degree.

For the purpose of rendering the fuse readily replaceable, it has been arranged, as already described, so that the fuse carrier may be readily withdrawn through the forward end of the member 3. I, preferably, arrange a spring 38 between the member 13 and a member 39 which is secured to the cable member 1, and connect the members 13 and 39v by means of a fiexible conductor 40 so that the spring 38, which is prevented from carrying current by means of annular insulating sleeves 41, arranged on adjacent ends of members 13 and 39, may have its function limited solely to an elastic pressure means. It will be noted that the cablel is of a less size than an opening 42 through which it enters the rear end of the handle 3 and accordingly the entire apparatus contained in the interior of the member 3 can be caused to move out through the front end thereof. Attention is also directed to the fact that the conductorvor wire 1 which may be the trailing cable of a mining machine, is removably connected to the member 39 as by a plurahty of screws 43, in such a manner as to enable the device to be connected or disconnected from that conductor when desired.

From the foregoing description, the mode of operation of this device will be readily apparent. When a fuse has blown, the members' 23 and 24 are released from their en. gagement with the openings 25 and 26 and the front member 4 is removed. The fuse carrier 11 and themember 39 are then readily likewise passed toward and throu h ythe forward end of the member 3 for a sul cient distance to permit the replacing of the fuse, the use of a fuse of too heavy capacity being prevented by the stop screw 35. When the fuse has been replaced, the members 39, 14, and 4 are forced back intothe member 3 and held in position by means of the members 23 and 24. The spring 38 insures a good contact between the conical nose 2l En tle member 12 and socket 22 on the mem While I have in this application specilically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an electric connecter, a pair of spacially separated contact devices provided with laterally opening sockets for the reception of a fuse, a renewable fuse arranged in said sockets and connecting said contact devices, and means adjacent the mouth of one of said sockets to limit the size of fusel insertable therein.

2. In an electric connecter, a pair of s a cially separated contact devices provi ed with sockets for the reception of a fuse, a removable fuse arranged in said sockets and connecting said contact devices, and means comprising a non-adjustable stop member projecting partially into one of said sockets to limit the sizey of fuse insertable therein, said stop member at its outer end being flush with the outer surface of the contact device on which it is located.

3. In an electric connecter, a. fuse carrying member comprising contact devices at each end thereof and intermediate insulating means comprising a spacing member, a noninflammable protective plate therefor, and means forming an air space intermediate a portion of said protective plate and said spacing member.

4. In an electric connecter, a fuse carrying member comprising contact devices at each end thereof and intermediate insulating means comprising a spacing member, a non- 'Ill inflammable protective plate therefor spaced for a portion of its length from said spacing member whereby a protective air space is provided, vand a fuse connecting sa-id contact devices and overlying said protective plate and having its portion of maximum resistance disposed adjacent said air space.

5,. In an electric connecter, a fuse carry* ing member comprising contact devices atl provided with means to maintain said por tion out of contact With said protective plate. l

6. In an electric connecter, a pair of hvspacially separated contact devices, a fuse connecting the same, an insulating member enclosingr said fuse, and means for maintaining said fuse and said contacts within said insulating member comprising a conducting member having a pair of manually compres-l sible locking elements engaging said insulating member.

7 In an electric connecter, a pair of spai cially separated contact devices, a fuse connecting the same, -an insulating member enclosing said fuse, and means for maintaining said fuse and said contacts within said insulating member comprising a conducting.

member having a pair of manually compressible telescopic loc-king elements engaging said insulating member.

8. lIn an electric connecter, a pair of spacially separated contact devices, a fuse connecting the same, an insulating member enclosing said fuse, means for` maintaining said fuse and said contacts within said insulating member, comprising a conducting member closing one end of said insulating member and al trailing wire. extending into the other end thereof, and means for elastically pressing one of said Contact devices into contact with said conducting member.

9. In an electric connecter, a pair of spacially separa-ted contact devices, a fuse connecting the same, an insulating member enclosing said fuse, means for maintaining said fuse and said contacts within said insulating member, comprising a conducting member closing one end of said insulating member and a trailing wire having electrical connection with said fuse, said connection being enclosed by said insulating member, and elastic means cooperating with one of said contactdevices to press the other thereof into contact with said conducting means.

10. In an electric connecter, a pair of spacially separated contact devices, a fuse connecting the same, an insulating member en-- closing said fuse, means for maintainin said fuse vand said contacts within said insu ating member, comprising a conducting member closing one end of said insulating member, and elastic means cooperating with one of said contact devices, but insulated therefrom, to press'the other thereof into contact with said conducting means.

l1. In an electric connecter, aninsulating manual .grasping member, a contact member arranged at one end thereot| and-adapted for connection to one wire of'a circuit, a flexible connection at the other end thereof to the \other wire of the circuit, a replaceable fuse inside said grasping member, and means for preventing the substitution of a fuse of eX- cessive capacity. f

l2. In an electric connecter, an insulating manual hollow grasping member, a contact member releasably secured to one end thereof, a member arranged adjacent the other end thereof and flexibly connected to one wire of a circuit, a fuse carrying member arranged between said contact member and said third mentioned member, a flexible connection between said fuse carrying member and said third mentioned member, and a surface connection between said fuse carrying member and said second mentioned member.

13. In an electric connecter, an insulating manual grasping member provided with a bore, a contact member adapted for connection to one wire of a circuit attached to one end thereof, a member at an opposite en'd thereof connected to the other wire of said circuit, and a fuse carrying member arranged within said grasping member and elastically pressed into contact with one of said other members.

14. In an electric connecter, an insulating member, a contact member arrangedl at one end thereof and locked therein, and lhaving a conical seat formed therein, a member in the opposite end of said insulating member connected to one wire of a circuit, a fuse carrying member within said insulating member and connected to said last mentioned member, and a spring between said fuse carrying member and said last mentioned member, said fuse carrying member being provided with a conical plug adjacent one end thereof cooperating with the conical seat in said contact member.

15. In an electric connecter, an insulating manual grasping member, a contact member arranged at one en'd thereof and releasably locked therein,a member in the opposite end of said grasping member connected to one wire of a circuit, a fuse carrying member within said grasping member and flexibly connected to said last mentioned member, a spring between said fuse carrying member and said last mentioned member, said fuse carrying member being provided with a conical plug adjacent one end thereof cooperating with a conical seat in said releasable Contact member, said fuse carrying member comprising a pair of metallic end members, an intermediate insulated spacing member, and a non-combustible protecting plate adjacent Which a fuse is secured.

16. In an electric connecter, an insulating manual grasping member, a contact member arran ed at one end thereof and releasably locke therein, a member in the opposite end of said grasping member connected to one wire of a circuit, a fuse carrying member within said grasping member and flexibly connected to said last mentioned member, a spring between said fuse carrying member and said last mentioned member, said fuse carrying member being provided with a conical plug adjacent one end thereof cooperating with a conical seat in said releasable contact member, said fuse carrying member comprising a pair of metallic end members, an intermediate insulated spacing member,

and a non-combustible protecting plate adjacent which a fuse is secured, said fuse liav ing a point of maximum resistance, and said non-combustible member and said spacing member being separated by an air space at a point adjacent the point of maximum resistance in said fuse member.

17. In an electrical connecter, an insulated manual grasping member provided With a bore, a contact member adapted for connection Within said member and adjacent said grasping portion to one Wire of a circuit attached to one end thereof, a member at the opposite end thereof connected to the other Wire o-f said circuit, a fuse, and a fuse carrying member supporting said fuse at both ends and arranged within said grasping member and pressed into contact with one of said first mentioned members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

cHARLEs W. WYMAN. 

